A promise I made at eighteen.
Friends,
When I was eighteen, I started a culinary apprenticeship far from home. The chef used to make fun of me. One night I sat in my truck, looking at the building where everyone else was hanging out. I knew that if I walked in, I was going to get some shit.
For the first time in my life, I felt like I did not belong.
I wanted to leave. But I had promised my mom that I would finish. Before I turned sixteen, I had gotten into a lot of trouble and had been kicked out of a lot of schools. She had every right to ask that of me.
So that night, I made another promise. I was going to figure out how to become the best chef I could be. Not quitting meant more than finishing the apprenticeship. It meant not quitting the whole thing for the rest of my life.
Then I made a plan
- Finish the apprenticeship.
- Get a job at The French Laundry.
- Start a company. Sell it.
- Travel around the world.
- Open a restaurant named Elizabeth after my mom.
So far, I have finished the apprenticeship. I worked at The French Laundry. I built the company and sold it. Now I am on the road, cooking, listening and learning before I open Elizabeth in New York.
I am sharing that part of the plan at whereischefjason.com while it is still happening.
Thank you for being here.
Jason